Moonlight
by Anima of the lost
Summary: An unexpected meeting in the moonlight    Rohan/Deirdre


_Author's note: I don't own anything except the plot. I have already published this fanfic in german but as I guess that only a minority is able and willing to read german fanfics - here's the english version. I hope nobody will mind. _

_As you can guess english is not my native language, so I already give you now an apology for my mistakes^^_

A bright full moon was shining on the castle of Kells. Everybody was fast asleep, dreaming of the peaceful days Draganta would bring them according to the prophecy of the Ancient Scroll. Only princess Deirdre was standing at her window staring out into the night.

A sigh escaped her lips, this would surely be one of those nights she wouldn't find any sleep. Now she had the choice: did she want to lie on her bed watching the ceiling all night long or go for a walk. She decided to do the last thing, she just had to leave her chamber for a while. Her father, king Conchobar, wouldn't be very pleased if he knew about her trip but he didn't need to find out.

A small smile appeared in the princess' face. Even at night there were patrols at the castle – these days you couldn't care enough when it came to the Temras- but she knew some back ways that would lead her safely out and later back in the castle. This way nobody would notice how she escaped the confinement of the castle for one night. Quickly she replaced her dress with some more suitable leather clothing and made sure she had her mystic crossbow and her sword with her, then she left her chamber.

After leaving the castle, the princess headed towards one of her favorite places: an old alder that was standing shortly in front of a steep cliff. It had always fascinated her to watch the sea at moonlight from this peaceful place.

After a short hike she reached the old tree, sitting down and leaning herself against the trunk of the alder. As she hadn't been here for a long while she enjoyed the view of the waves in the moonlight even more than usual.

The princess hadn't been sitting under the tree for long when she heard footsteps approaching her position. As she expected a danger she listened but according the sounds she heard it was just one single person who didn't even try to hide his presence. Nevertheless Deirdre took her sword and got up without making any sounds, she didn't want to risk anything tonight. When the unkown which Deirdre supposed to be a man because of his heavy steps, had almost reached the alder, the princess emerged from behind the tree, her sword pointed at the unexpected visitor.

In the moonlight she could make out the familiar face of the Mystic Knight of fire. "Rohan?" surprised she lowered her sword. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same, princess." The young knight seemed as surprised as Deirdre was.

"Well, we have full moon and I couldn't sleep", the princess started, "and I just felt captured in the castle so I came to this place." Rohan managed to swallow a comment concerning her safety out here at last she was the one with the weapon in hands when they had met.

Meanwhile the princess had sat down once again and looked at him questionly. After sitting down next to her Rohan replied: "Unlike Angus I have never been able to sleep well when there is a full moon. Although I'm surprised that not the whole village is awake because of his snoring."

The princess smirked. "I would try to escape that in any case."

Rohan was smiling now too. "That's exactly what I did and as I haven't been here for a while I decided to visit this place."

Deirdre looked at him surprised. "You're often here?"

"I wouldn't say it like that, but I've been here several times. It is so quiet and peaceful here – much better than a snoring Angus. In the nights of full moon I don't have much to do so I can think about different things, the war, the prophecy, my family…"

The last word he said with a bitterness the young woman couldn't mind, at last it wasn't long ago that he had to find out that Maeve, the tyrant queen of Temra, was his mother.

Deirdre moved a little closser to him and laid her hand in a sympathetic way on his arm, what made him look at her half grateful, half painful. The following silence became longer and longer and each second more awkward.

"Well, you know" the princes started to fill the silence "even when I was a child I couldn't sleep at full moon, I still don't know why. Those nights my mother stayed with me the whole time." Cursing herself Deirdre wondered how she came to choose this special subject. But nevertheless she continued talking because even that was better than sitting longer in this awkward silence. "She told me stories or we just sat there watching the moon. It seems to be in the family because she didn't find any sleep at full moon either. This was the time that just belonged to the both of us."

The young man listened to the princess carefully, until now he had never heard her talking about her mother. He noticed that she had picked a small flower from the grass and was turning it unconscious in her hand. He could sense that she wanted to say something more so he just let her patiently the time she needed.

"She…" the princess had to swallow hard before she could continue, "she died in a night of full moon."

Stunned the former druid apprentice watched how a single tear sparkled in the moonlight as it made it way down Deirdre's cheek before he gently wiped it away with his thumb. He didn't know what to do, he had never seen her like this before but he already knew that he hated watching her crying. Following his instincts he laid an arm around her shoulder after hesitating for a heartbeat. The princes gave him a small smile and laid her head on his shoulder.

This way the young warrior held her until she kept the grip on herself again. Now she felt a little embarrassed for letting herself go like this, she hadn't cried for years, why did she have to come up with this again, especially in front of Rohan? Murmuring an apology she left his embrace and distanced herself a little from him.

"You don't have to apology for anything, Deirdre" the knight scolded her softly. "You loved her, so it's just natural that you are missing her. But you shouldn't forget one thing, you said it yourself once: all of you, you are my family, but the same way we are yours too. We will always be there for you."

After this little speech the princess looked at him thoughtful but then a small smile appeared on her face and widened more and more. "Yes, you are right, we are a family."

When he saw Deirdre beaming all over her face it suddenly came clear to him that he really meant what he had just said, this hadn't been empty words to calm the princess, he was really serious. His friends knew about his heritage but still they hadn't turned away from him, in contrary they had given him their full support in these hard times. If this wasn't what family meant, he couldn't imagine anything else. So he returned Deirdre a smile as bright as hers, words were unnecessary now, she had understood him even before he had himself.

The two mystic knights were sitting next to each other in companionable silence, listening to the sounds of the night. The princess knew that they shouldn't be so close to each other, that they were acting much too intimate at the moment. But she didn't want to do anything about this, it just felt so good and right. So she decided to do nothing but enjoy this feeling of safety and closeness.

Until the sky started lighting up in the east the two mystic knights were sitting under the alder. In the course of the night, Deirdre had laid her head on Rohan's shoulder once again and his arm was wrapped around her waist barely touching her. Both of them were clearly aware of the other's presence, but they didn't say a word about it, afraid to break the spell they seemed to be under. All in all they hadn't said much the whole night and when they had talked it was just about trivial things.

When the time of departure had come, Rohan turned to Deirdre only to recognize that she had fallen asleep. Smiling he watched her relaxed face and just couldn't bring himself to wake this sleeping angel. Somehow he managed to get up without disturbing Deirdre in her sleep. She really had to be fast asleep because she didn't even wake up when he lifted her up and carried her back to the castle.

The sunlight that was flooding into her chamber waked the princess in the morning. Sleepy she stretched a little and needed a moment to orient herself, she could have sworn that she had not fallen asleep here. Slowly the memories of last night came back to her: her unexpected meeting with Rohan, their talk and finally her feeling of well-being when she had just sat there with him. But when she thought about it now doubts came to her mind. Did she just dream it all, was is just wishful thinking? The princess got up and started walking around in her chamber restlessly. Just when her doubts reached the climax her gaze fell on a small flower lying on a tiny table near her bed.

So she really hadn't dreamed this, it had all really happened. Probably Rohan had taken her back to the castle and left her the flower as a memory. Tenderly she caressed the bloom and a bright smile lightened up her face.


End file.
